Metering device



April 1951 H. G. ROECKER 2,548,123

- METERING DEVICE Filed Oct. 27, 1949 hyvelyt'or H.G. Roecker Aasm' Patented Apr. 10, 1951 gain ET FFICE METERING DEVI-CE Herman George Roecker, Fort Garry, Manitoba, Canada Application October 27, 1949, Serial No. 123,901

2 Claims.

The principal object of the present invention is to design a mechanical device for continuous even delivery of a flowable or semi-flowable material. B semi-flowable material I mean material such as grain, sand and gravel, sugar, et cetera.

A further object of the invention is to design the device for power driven rotation so that the quantity of material delivered over a period of time can be regulated or metered by varying the speed of rotation.

A further object of the invention is to design the device in a durable manner, for ease of attachment to machines requiring such a device, simplicity of operation, and such that it will occupy a minimum of space and yet be highly enicient when in use.

A still further object of the invention is to design the device from two castings, held together by a locked rin for simplicity and cheapness of manufacture and assembly.

With the above important objects in view, the invention consists essentially in the design and assembly of the various parts hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the metering device connected to a supply hopper.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the central cast tubing.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The lower part of a downwardly tapering supply hopper is indicated at i. This hopper is suitably secured to and supported by a metal wall 2 Which is provided lower down with a hole 3. The lower end of the hopper is bolted, as at 5, to an elbow member 5 having the opposite end connected to the wall 2, so that flowable or semiflowable material (not shown) in the hopper i can pass down through the elbow 5 and hole 3 into the metering device now to be described.

The metering device comprising this invention is formed in the present instance from two castings 6 and 1 which are held in workin position by a ring 8. These parts will now be described in detail.

The casting 6 is best shown in Figure 3 and comprises an open ended tubing 9 having an outer encircling flange H) at one end thereof. This flange is provided with holes H therearound so that it can be placed against th wall 2 on the (o1. zza-scn side remote from the hopper and secured by bolts Hi. When so secured, the open end, adjacent the Wall, is aligned with the hole 3. A pair of diametrically opposed, upper and lower, rectangularshaped openings l3 and l lrespectively are provided in th wall of the tubing 9, slightly offcentre toward the flange. A partition I5 is formed within the tubing 9, passes downwardly from the flange end of the opening 13, then is bent and continues at an angle down to the bottom of the tubing at the end remote from the flange. This partition effectively closes ofl the passage directly through the tubing and such that the opening I3 is on one side of the partition and the opening M is on the other side.

The casting 1 comprises an annular drum l6 of a U-shape in cross-section and with the open side of the U facing inwardly. In the present instance, ten partitions I! pass across the interior of the U' at equi-spaced intervals around the drum to divide same into ten compartments or pockets E3 of equal size. The interior edges of the drum sides are widened into hubs i9 and 29 so that the drum can be telescoped over and rotatably mounted on the tubing 9 with the hub l9 riding against the face of the flange it]. When so mounted, the pockets I 8 will register with the openings l3 and Hi of the tubing in the rotation of the drum therearound. The hub 20 is provided with sprocket teeth 2! so that a chain 22 can link therein and rotatably drive the drum from a suitable motor or shaft (not shown). The ring 8 telescopes over the tubing 9, against the hub 20, and is secured by set screws 23 to hold the drum against side movement when rotating.

In operation, the drum i6 is rotated and the fiowable or semi-flowable material above mentioned enters the tubing 9, passes through the opening Hi and into the moving pockets it which become filled as they pass thereunder. In rotating around the tubing 9, the pockets carry the material up and over the opening I3 through which it falls to slide down the sloping partition l5 and be delivered out the opposite end of the tubing 9.

From the above description, it will be seen that the size of the pockets together with the drum speed determines the quantity of material coming from the delivery end of the tubing 9 in a pro-determined time, and the delivery will be a constant stream. By regulating the speed of the drum rotation, faster or slower, the quantity delivered over a period of time can be increased or reduced respectively to suit the requirements of the operator. The device is simpie both to manufacture and in operation, it occupies a minimum of space, it will run efficiently for years with very little trouble and can be quickly dismantled for cleaning or repairs. Its design readily lends itself for attachment to various machines requiring such a metering device. It is cheap to manufacture.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A metering device, comprising: a stationary tubing, open at each end and the interior centrally divided by a sloping partition; a pair of openings through the wall of said tubing, at diametrically opposite locations thereon; each of said openings connecting with the interior of said tubing on opposite sides of said partition; an annular drum of U-shape cross-section rtatably mounted on said tubing; said annular drum having partitions thereacross therearound to divide same into pockets, with the openings to said pockets facing interiorly and registerable with the openings in said tubing in the rotation of said drum; means for securing said tubing to a support; means for feeding flowable material into one end of said tubing; and means for rotating said drum.

2. A metering device, comprising: an openended cast tubing having an outer flange on one end and said flange secured to a support; the interior of said tubing centrally divided by a partition, sloping in a direction away from said flanged end; a pair of aligned rectangular-shaped openings in the wall of said tubing, one above said partition and the other below same; a hollow drum-shaped member telescopically receivable over said tubing and with the sides thereof in contact with said tubing for rotation of said drum-shaped member thereon; partitions pass- 'ing across said drum-shaped member therearound to form a plurality of pockets; the open sides of said pockets facing inwardly and registerable with the openings in said tubing in the rotation of said drum-shaped member; means for feeding flowable material into the open flanged end of said tubing to drop through said lowbr opening of said tubing and into said pockets; means for power rotating said drumshaped member to elevate said filled pockets over said upper opening in said tubing, and for said material to fall through said latter opening and slide down said sloping partition in said tubing; and means on said tubing to hold said drumshaped member in said rotatable position on said tubing.

HERMAN GEORGE ROECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 10,633 Cross Mar. 14, 1854 934,118 Wild, Jr. Sept. 14, 1909 954,782 Condon Apr. 12, 1910 1,218,421 Larsson Mar. 6, 1917 1,293,092 Hartman Feb. 4, 1919 2,452,963 Sommer Nov. 2, 1948 

